Justin Marshall issues last-minute warning for the All Blacks
Justin Marshall is as aware as anyone ahead of New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against Argentina that his former team is “expected to win, should win and will win if they play the rugby they are capable of”. But the man who won 81 All Black caps also knows better than most that things can go horribly wrong in a heartbeat.
“The reality is how quickly you can be hit in the face when you are cruising in this tournament,” Marshall said with a rueful smile as he contemplated the similarities between the situation the current All Blacks side finds themselves in and those he faced as a player.
“In both cases in my experience of semi-finals, 1999 against France at Twickenham and again in 2003 against Australia, both of those sides we’d had no problems with leading up that tournament. In fact, we’d put 50 on Australia in Sydney seven weeks before we played them in that semi-final,” he recalled.
“We were clearly a better side than both those teams but on that day both of those sides had performances that were out of the gate, that were outside of the way they’d been playing and simply because they were super big-time underdogs in those matches.”
In 1999 the French, inspired by the two Christophes, Lamaison and Dominici, produced one of the all-time great World Cup comebacks to see off Marshall et al 43-31 and four years later, Elton Flatley steered Australia to an equally shocking 22-10 win.
While Marshall does not predict a similar outcome for the All Blacks at the Stade de France on Friday night. Not only was the quarter-final display against Ireland an “absolute complete performance” and not “far off” perfect but Argentina also haven’t experienced the “tempo or the intensity” the All Blacks will bring. He is, however, acutely aware he didn’t see either of his semi-final heartbreaks coming. Or indeed New Zealand’s shock loss to England in Yokohama four years ago.
“You can be in very good rhythm, that you can be on top of your game and you can be beaten really quickly by a side that shouldn’t beat you,” he said. “That’s how quickly a semi-final can flip on you.
“And Argentina are capable of that.”
The other aspects that most concerns Marshall is his compatriots’ recent history of following real highs with genuine lows, especially given it was Los Pumas who benefited from such fluctuations in form little more than 12 months ago.
“Quite clearly that performance at Ellis Park last year (35-23 win versus South Africa), turning around and putting in one hell of a performance showed they have got it in their
DNA. But then the following week they went back to New Zealand and lost to Argentina at home in Christchurch (25-18),” Marshall said. “Some of the results in the last two years are not flattering. That does not mean one performance results in this fear and this aura coming back.”
While “everybody is already talking about who they are going play in the final” Marshall is desperate that the All Blacks focus on reproducing the intensity and accuracy they found in the 28-24 quarter-final over Ireland last weekend.
“They still need that performance. They can’t fluctuate. They need to send a statement, not only to themselves, but to the world that they can operate at that level every week,” he said.
Do that and they will avoid the ignominy of the third-fourth place playoff – Marshall admits he was never “less motivated and so demoralised leading in to a test match” than when he had to lace up his boots for those clashes – and the All Blacks will instead head to the final everyone back home is “expecting”.
Although, he does not mind a bit if England upset the formbooks in the other semi-final.
“I think they’d prefer not to play South Africa mate,” Marshall laughed. “They are not a side you want to meet in the final. They are the ultimate foe.
“It would be a blockbuster of a final should it eventuate though.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Think it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
235 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
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